“Happy Diwoleee” exclaimed a lady anchor, about three decades ago, on a semi-Indian television channel. It stirred the hearts of many in Bharat. Look how that foreign lady wished us on Deepawali! In January, 1990, venerated saint Devraha Baba made two predictions in his interview to this correspondent (video available on YouTube).
One: Ram Mandir will be built without any hindrance.
Two: Bharat will rise to glory.
Zip forward almost 36 years. World leaders ranging from Israeli PM to Pakistani PM sent out Deepawali greetings, 2025. Benjamin Netanyahu wished his friend “@narendramodi and the people of India a very happy #Diwali”. Shehbaz Sharif extended his heartfelt greetings to the “Hindu community in Pakistan and around the world”.
U.S. President Donald Trump greeted “every American celebrating Deepawali.”
Australian PM, Anthony Albanese, wished “everyone”, adding that the “great festival of lights” may “uplift you with hope for a bright future.”
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, greeted “everyone”.
The Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, wished “everyone” in advance. He said “we celebrate not just the lights in our homes, but the meaning they carry in our hearts”.
The ruler of Dubai and the PM of UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum greeted “those celebrating Deepawali in the UAE and around the world”.
UK’s PM, Keir Starmer, greeted “Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across Britain”.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney greeted “everyone celebrating” the festival of lights.
Bhutan’s Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay wished “everyone”.
Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake wished “all Hindus in Sri Lanka and abroad”.
United Nations, too, posted on X its Deepawali greetings “to all those celebrating”.
Their greetings maybe diplomatic, or an effort to connect with Bharat’s diaspora on their soil. It is heartwarming that the Eternal message of Deepawali is radiating across the planet.
Back home, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aboard INS Vikrant, off the coast of Goa and Karwar, posted on X that “people love celebrating Deepawali with their families. And so do I, which is why every year I meet our army and security personnel who keep our nation safe”.
The sacred glow of Deepawali lit up the Amavasya from Ayodhya to Kashi and from Mathura to Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
According to one estimate, a world record number of 26,70,215 diyas lined the 56 ghats on both sides of the Saryu river in Ayodhya. A record number of 2,128 priests performed the arti of the holy river. Thirty thousand volunteers devoted themselves to make all this happen.
According to yet another source, more than 1.5 lakh diyas were lit up at the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lit the first diya. Deepawali is the latest in Bharat’s soft power export worldwide. So far, for the last few decades, two of India’s worldwide ambassadors had been Yoga and Bollywood films.
With Swami Ramdev’s televised Yoga lessons, Yoga became a nationwide movement with tremendous force. Alongside Yoga, Ayurveda became a parallel traveller, giving sleepless nights to global pharma giants. A year after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he got the U. N. to declare June 21 as the International Yoga Day.
Modi has been consistently pushing for the world to recognize and benefit from Bharat’s rich heritage. In one oration in Parliament, Modi dubbed it “Idea of India”. He went on reciting one Bharatiya thought after another. One of them was “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family). Clearly, if mankind sees everyone as his family, including animals and plants, human illusion of separateness will be cured automatically. Narendra Modi made “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” the theme of G-20 hosted by Bharat.
All of Bharat’s soft power export is pious in nature, except for Bollywood cinema. And even that is undergoing overdue healing which will, hopefully, transform the quality of this product, in due course of time.
Even the world’s sole super power is impressed by Bharatiya brains. Young Indians climbing on to the top jobs in American multinationals. The enterprise of Patels in the field of motels. Doctors, professors, engineers, space scientists, the Silicon Valley professionals; the list is long.
With this background, it is natural for the world to celebrate sacred merit in the spirit and the thought behind Deepawali!
